As the controversy over the Arizona immigration law continues, percentage of Hispanics who say that the hardships faced by Hispanic immigrants living in the United States are worth it in order to ensure a better future for their families, according to the newest Ipsos-Telemundo telephone poll: 81

Percentage of Hispanics who also agree -- including 55 percent who completely agree -- that in spite of the current economic conditions, immigrants who live in the U.S. are better off financially than they would be if they lived in their country of origin: 79

Source: Ipsos Reid Public Affairs.

Percentage of U.S. workers who admitted they would take some form of company property with them when leaving a position, according to SailPoint's 2010 Market Pulse Survey: 49

Percentage of workers who would take customer data, including contact information: 29

Percentage who would take product information, including designs and plans: 15

Source: Sailpoint Market Survey.

Amount of time that empty nest opportunist (ENO) parents in the U.K. say they save per year on domestic drudgery because they no longer have to cook and clean for their child, according to a survey for UNITE: 3 months

Increase in the average ENO's circle of friends once they cut the apron strings: 5

Number more times per week that extra hours allow ENOs to socialize than when their kids were at home: 3

Source: UNITE.

Average commute from home to work for Americans, according to a Gallup Poll: 23 minutes

Percentage of U.S. workers who spend more than half an hour getting to work: 19

Percentage who commute for more than an hour each way: 3

Percentage of employees with a commute of more than 90 minutes who say they have had a neck or back condition that has caused recurrent pain in the past 12 months: 33

Source: Gallup.

Year that Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins of Hastings, Neb., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1927

Number of different flavors that will be dispensed by the world's largest Kool-Aid stand during the annual Kool-Aid festival in Hastings, Neb.: 22

Estimated number of gallons of Kool-Aid that are consumed worldwide each year: 500 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of western clients hoping to find a Russian or Ukrainian bride on "romance tours" organized by dating giant Anastasia International from 2002 to 2009 who are now either married (13 percent) or in what qualifies as a lasting relationship (5.9 percent): 18.9

Percentage of respondents who became engaged but broke it off: 2.3

Source: Anastasia International Inc.

Average amount that the average American family will spend this year on back-to-school clothes, shoes, supplies and electronics, according to the National Retail Federation's 2010 Consumer Intentions and Actions Back to School survey, conducted by BIGresearch: $606.40

Expected total spending on school-aged children in grades K-12: $21.35 billion

Projected combined K-12 and college spending, serving as the second biggest consumer spending event for retailers behind the winter holidays: $55.12 billion

Source: BIGresearch.

Percentage of employees and job-seekers who say they've become increasingly uncomfortable about discussing their salary and compensation with anyone, according to a survey on behalf of Glassdoor.com: 17

Among those employees who are comfortable sharing salary information, percentage who are willing to discuss this information with their boss: 25

Percentage who will discuss this information with their financial adviser: 24

Source: Glassdoor.com.

Percentage of Americans who say they are passionate about food, according to the Lawry's "What's Your Flavor" survey: 50

Percentage who watch cooking shows regularly: 34

Percentage of respondents who say they try a new flavor at least once a month: 66

Source: Harrison Group.

Percentage of Americans who fall into the "healthy lifestyle" category, by making healthy food and portion choices and by exercising regularly, according to the Nutrisystem Diet Index issued by Nutrisystem Inc.: 35

Percentage of American women who would take a summer without sex over gaining 10 pounds: 52

Source: Kelton Research.

Idle Thought

"How easy to be amiable in the midst of happiness and success." -- Madame Anne Sophie Swetchine, mystic

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of hiring managers who say that job seekers with shifty eyes would make them reluctant to hire that candidate, according to a survey by CareerBuilder: 67

Percentage who would be less likely to hire someone who failed to smile: 38

Percentage who cited fidgeting as a reason they would be less likely to hire someone: 33

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of workers who said making a mess for others to clean up is the most annoying break-room behavior, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 44

Percentage who said that stealing a co-worker's food was the most annoying: 19

Percentage who said leaving expired/spoiled food in the refrigerator: 18

Source: OfficeTeam.

Projected revenue in 2010 in the parental outsourcing of child-related duties (e.g., child care, coaching and tutoring), according to research by IBISWorld: $55.8 billion

Percentage of the parental outsourcing category that is accounted for by child care centers, generating $22.8 billion in revenue: 41

Percentage of the market that is accounted for by nannying and baby-sitting, with revenue expected to total $16.2 billion: 29.1

Source: IBISWorld.

If they could find the same job in a community that they thought offered a higher quality of life, percentage of working Americans who would take the plunge and move, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs poll: 43

Percentage of working Americans who say greater affordability would be the biggest attraction in moving to another community: 20

Percentage who say better schools would be their motivation: 16

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of travelers who say that an airline should refund fees if it loses/delays your bags: 14

Percentage who say the airline must put you on another carrier at no additional charge if a flight is canceled/delayed, according to Smarter Travel: 56

Percentage who say that if the airline eliminates a route after you buy a ticket, they must put you on another airline for no additional cost: 75

Source: Smarter Travel.

Percentage of TVs sold in the U.S. in 2014 that will be 3-D-ready, according to Parks Associates: 80

Percentage of households that are familiar with 3-D TV, an increase from 10 percent from the previous quarter: 13

Percentage of these households that are willing to pay for 3-D content, provided they have access to the right types of content, including movies and TV shows: 48

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of apartment hunters who do not carry renters insurance because they do not think they can afford it or did not know it existed, according to an Apartments.com national survey: 67

Average cost of renters insurance per month: $12.50

Percentage more likely that renters are to experience theft than homeowners, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics: 50

Source: Apartments.com.

Despite the current economic slump and the widespread anticipation of crises to come, percentage of Americans who remain upbeat about the future, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and Smithsonian magazine about an America 40 years hence: 64

Percentage who are optimistic about the future of the United States: 61

Percentage who say the U.S. economy will be stronger than it is today: 56

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Rank of Michelle Obama (with a rating of 66 percent) on the list assessing the favorability of several key public figures, according to a Gallup Poll: 1

Ranks of Bill Clinton, Hilary Clinton, David Petraeus and Barack Obama on the list: 2 (tie), 4, 5

Source: Gallup.

Percentage rise in online advertising spending in 2010, according to a report from eMarketer: 11.9

Projected spending in 2010: $61.8 billion

By 2014, estimated online ad spending, growing at an 11.9 percent compound annual rate: $96.8 billion

Source: eMarketer.

Idle Thought

"In youth we feel richer for every new illusion; in maturer years, for every one we lose." -- Madame Anne Sophie Swetchine

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Rank of Friday night on the list of the most popular nights for Americans to take out their dinner, according to a survey by Turning Leaf: 1

Percentage of respondents who said they have passed off takeout food as something they have made from scratch: 34

When asked where they prefer to eat takeout, percentage of Americans who said cozying up on the living room couch: 50

Percentage who enjoyed sitting down at the dining room table: 50

Think you're the only one who sneaks a bite of food before bringing it home? Percentage of Americans who also let the temptation of a pre-meal bite get the best of them: 61

Source: Turning Leaf.

Percentage of swimmers who think it's acceptable to urinate in the ocean if no other swimmers are near, according to a survey by TripAdvisor: 53

Percentage of respondents who think there should be designated child-free areas: 63

Percentage who think it's unacceptable for a young child to go in the ocean au naturel: 61

Percentage of travelers who think it's unacceptable to ask a stranger to help apply suntan lotion: 77

Source: TripAdvisor.

Percentage of presumably human adults surveyed in 22 countries who say they believe that alien beings have come down to Earth and walk amongst us in our communities disguised as "us," according to a Reuters News poll conducted by Ipsos: 20

Ranks of India (45 percent) and China (42 percent) on the list of countries with citizens most likely to believe that the disguised visitors are walking close by: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos Reid.

Of those Americans who have experienced an unemployment spell of at least six months, percentage who report that the recession has caused major changes in their lives, according to a Pew Research Center survey: 44

Percentage of those unemployed over six months who say joblessness has strained family relations, compared with 39 percent of those who were out of work for less than three months: 46

Percentage of long-term unemployed who say they have lost contact with close friends: 43

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of workers who report that since the economic downturn, they have been packing a lunch more often to eat healthier or help save money, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 47

Among workers who smoke, percentage who said they are more likely to quit smoking given today's economic conditions: 44

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans, not yet retired, who believe they will get no Social Security benefits when they retire, reflecting more pessimism than at any time since Gallup began asking this question in 1989: 60

Percentage of retired Americans who believe their existing Social Security benefits will eventually be cut: 56

Percentage of retirees who said Social Security is a major source of income, more than any other source tested: 54

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of Americans who feel that smoking should not be allowed within 20 feet of a doorway, according to the results from the annual Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control, funded by Legacy: 67.3

Percentage who feel that beaches should be smoke-free: 43

Percentage who favor smoking bans in parks: 36

Source: Legacy.

Number of single moms living with children under 18 years old, according to BIGresearch: 10 million

Number of single dads living with children under 18 years old: 2.3 million

Source: BIGresearch.

Percentage of adults who have less confidence in Apple products due to iPhone 4 reception problems, according to a survey by Zogby: 40

Percentage of adults who believe electronics products are becoming more reliable: 32

Percentage who say they are less reliable: 22

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of mothers who consider themselves "fun" moms, according to the survey of moms conducted by Rayovac: 84

Percentage of these fun moms who believe that having more energy would empower their families to have even more fun this summer: 60

To keep kids occupied in the car while taking a summer road trip, percentage of moms who sing songs with their families: 60

To give the vocal cords a rest, percentage who also have their children watch movies on a portable DVD player: 50

Source: Rayovac.

Idle Thought

"A man should live with his superiors as he does with his fire: not too near, lest he burn; nor too far off, lest he freeze." -- Diogenes, philosopher

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)